xxin THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY 383 



not be his wife, he was so very attentive to her all the 

 evening." As intimate friends knew, they had at first many 

 household troubles and cares to contend with, a large family 

 of young children, much ill -health, and not very abundant 

 means, but through it all Huxley's patience and sweetness 

 were admirable. The fierce and redoubtable antagonist in 

 the battlefield of scientific or theological controversy was all 

 love and gentleness at home. 



The fact that he had sailed under Captain Owen Stanley, 

 who died when in command of the Rattlesnake in Australia, 

 brought him into very friendly communication with the 

 Captain's brother, Arthur Stanley, the late dean of Westminster, 

 the Dean, as many of us always used to, and still do, call 

 him, just as the first Duke of Wellington was always called the 

 Duke. Notwithstanding the great differences of their interests 

 and pursuits, they remained intimate until Stanley's death, and 

 to be with them when they met was a rare occasion of hearing 

 much delightful talk and many displays of playful wit. If 

 I had the faculty of a Boswell, I should have much worth 

 narrating of many charming little dinner parties at one or the 

 other of our houses, when Huxley and the Dean were the 

 principal talkers. I remember a characteristic rencontre 

 between them which took place on one of the ballot nights 

 at the Athenaeum. A well -.known popular preacher of the 

 Scotch Presbyterian Church, who had made himself famous by 

 predictions of the ipeedy coming of the end of the world, was 

 up for election. I was standing by Huxley when the Dean, 

 coming straight from the ballot boxes, turned towards us. 

 " Well," said Huxley, " have you been voting for C ? " " Yes, 

 indeed, I have," replied the Dean. " Oh, I thought the priests 

 were always opposed to the prophets," said Huxley. " Ah ? " 

 replied the Dean, with that well-known twinkle in his eye, 

 and the sweetest of smiles. " But, you see, I do not believe in 

 his prophecies, and some people say I am not much of a priest." 



Speaking of Dean Stanley, I am reminded of a very 

 interesting meeting which took place at my house, in 

 Lincoln's Inn Fields, on 26th November 1878, just after 

 his return from his visit to the United States. He had a 

 great wish to see Darwin, who was one of the few remarkable 



